What is this?

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

A Nursing School set up shop to train nurses. This "college" is set up in a former hotel and nurses will be able to get certified in 11 months.

While I think it is good that a business is opening I think it is a long shot to use this as an indicator that our CNMI economy is now on the upswing.

I would love to see any forecast as to the amount of money that will come to the CNMI gov't from this project. I am assuming they have a QC of some type that will minimize or eliminate most taxes. I am also assuming that the building is on Public Land and that fees for that are at around the 1% of fair market value to DPL. I am assuming that the Nurses will be housed at the facility (no rental income for other community members). I am assuming that most nurses will come from abroad, get certified and then leave so no real income generated by a newly created working member of the community.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

As I peruse the various local papers I am struck daily with quotes that simply stun me. I must say that today's quote is also from a blog post.

QTD: "While I am sympathetic to their individual plight, and speak from the privileged perch of white male American, there is something unsavory about the desperate efforts of many Filipinos to flee their own country." [emphasis added]

One thing that added to my frustrations was the comments that people left on this blog post. One said that Jeff had hit the mark regarding aliens. Another said that they agreed with his concise analysis. Another mentioned it was a nice piece.

Nice piece?

Hit the mark?

In regards to the "unsavory" efforts of the "Filipinos" to "flee" their country statement Mr. Turbitt made, I have a few thoughts and questions.

What of those aboard the Mayflower? This too was “unsavory” in Mr. Turbitt's book? How odd that we celebrate their one-way departure and their landing in America with a nice savory cooked turkey in just a few days.

What too of the inscription on that lady's statue off New York? “Unsavory” as well?

What too of Mr. Turbitt that is here in Saipan? “Unsavory” for he has left his “home”?

There is nothing unsavory in my book about individuals relocating. Whether or not they have intentions of returning from where they came from and regardless of their individual reasons for leaving (be it due to lack of jobs, lack of food supply, disease, persecution, etc.).

The indigenous people of these islands many years back made a trip from a distant point and landed here in Saipan. They made this their home. Many did not return. Every day others from all across the world land on Saipan and set in their roots. They too make this their home.

Not every individual is nationalistic. It is not a duty of an individual to be such. To each his own.

I do not think you hit the mark in regards to aliens.

I was very disheartened by your remarks.

I guess what maybe savory in your book would be a group of "Filipinos" boarding a vessel and coming to Saipan. Then upon landing overthrowing the government and raising a new flag. Or perhaps had the Pilgrims decided to work for the Native Americans rather than taking their land would have been "unsavory".

I will not even touch on the "privileged perch of white male American" statement Mr. Turbitt made as it just screams "WTF".

I am swapped with things I would like to look into. I am looking over the newly enacted Labor Law of 2007. This is an eyeful.

I am also trying to figure out the regulations and laws pertaining to the absentee voting process in the CNMI. I have found so many discrepancies in the laws it is mind boggling that they had passed originally. Here is an example:

1 CMC § 6213(a) is amended to read as follows:“(a) To be counted, an absentee ballot shall be postmarked not later than 10 days from the date of election and be received by the Commission not later than seven days after 12:00 noon on the date of election. If the Commission is using a post office box for the receipt of absentee ballots, it shall remove all absentee ballots contained in the box on and no later than fourteen days after 12:00 noon on the election date and such ballots shall be deemed to have been received within the deadline.

(1) Commencing with the date absentee ballots are first sent out until seven days after the 12:00 noon on the date of election, no less than two persons shall go to the post office, one of whom shall be designated by the Commission chairperson and the other of whom shall be designated by the Executive Director, to collect absentee ballots.

(2) The reply envelopes shall not be opened but shall be marked as provided in subsection (b) and deposited in a locked ballot box until processed by the Commission pursuant to subsections (c) through (h) seven days after the election.”

c. 1 CMC § 6213(h) is amended to read as follows:“(h) The returned envelopes marked 'OK', together with the application attached, shall be delivered by the Commission to the accounting and tabulation committee seven days afteron the day of the election, to be tabulated by the accounting and tabulation committee.”

There are so many things that scream "WTF" in this one section of the amended code.

I also wanted to look into who qualifies to receive and submit an absentee vote. How are the absentee ballots cross-checked to determine that the voter did not physically vote at a polling location on the day of the election and then also submit an absentee ballot (what precautionary measures are in place?). I have first hand accounts of voters who went to the polling places on Saturday and their names were not manually crossed off the computer print out listing. I fear that the names of absentee voters also appeared on these lists. What would stop someone from voting physically and then also mailing in an absentee ballot. A simple check would be to ensure that every individual that entered the polls on Saturday had their name crossed out on the computer generated listing (and initialed by the voter. As I did). Then when you receive the 1000 or so absentee ballots simply cross check the print out and determine if the person already voted on Saturday at a physical location. Not rocket science, however if the names were not being crossed of then it throws a major wrench into any cross checking procedure.

I am also still trying my best to stay on top of the Federal Senate and House Bills regarding CNMI immigration.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

It seems Ron may have shook the hive with his letter to the editor. I have heard people say that the FBI needs to intercede and that Ron's advocating graffiti is awful.

I understand Ron's frustrations. The only question I have is why a movement for this one cause? Why not a movement that address the real problem? Our Government.

Now I will be clear (I know the Federal Prisons are Club Meds but I still don't feel like going to one anytime soon. Maybe after I turn 60). I am not advocating a Coup. I am questioning why Ron wouldn't have.

Why not call the citizens to take the government? Why not call for a Coup d'état?

How many people would be willing to support it? Would non-resident workers aid in a Coup? Is the public at that point yet? If not, at what point do we break?

I will write more on this in my next post. I am going to research a bit more on what I can say on the blogosphere and still be covered under the basic right to freedom of speech :-)

Thursday, November 8, 2007

What better way to show your support than a customized "Boycott Porky's" Hat or T-shirt or Button or...

UPDATE (11/10/07) : WOW! I have sold 3 T-Shirts and 1 G-string to 2 satisfied customers. Let me know what other items you guys might want. I will have yard sign Billboards available by Monday. Feel free to pick up a few and just swap out any of those "YES on Casino" Signs that may still be lingering around out there.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

It appears that Mr. Bateman is hurting something terrible right now. His bar had a pathetic showing on Halloween and this last weekend was the slowest since he took the reins on the place. Top that off with the fact that his hopes for a lucrative consultant job with NMDIC just feel through his hands after the vote tally and you will understand the mental situation he is presently in.

I was wondering why a guy that hides himself behind an alias would be so obsessed, yes I think that word conveys the correct and specific malady, about a political initiative. There is only one plausible reason I can come up with and that is deceit via cover up. When his true identity is known, it will become plainly and absolutely obvious why you see all the running around in circles, pulling the hair out screaming 'propaganda' at the top of his lungs (okay fingertips) that Pee Pee boy aka Phlegmatic Playdough aka 13 different anonymous posters with the same classless writing style exhibits. You will then see what his true motivations are and what his true affiliations were and are. Thus his burning desire to keep his identity secret at all costs. Thus his obsession with the Saipan Casino Act. So I got down to doing a little cross checking and found, not his true identity yet, but his family tree so it is narrowed down considerably now. I have heard from a respected source that Pee Pee's Mom is a sodomite and does it with goats. Yes, goats. We're not talking merino sheep here we’re talking Billy Goat Gruff, cloven hoofed, smelly, shaggy goats. Not satyrs (as the family historian likes to pretend). The woman actually fornicates with ahem, should I say it again (?) goats, according to this reliable source. Here, go to his own site and check it out RIGHT HERE

I just read his column in the paper today. Rather than writing all that nonsense and the above post he could have simply come out and said "I am sorry. I was stupidly lured into the whole SCA thing for personal gain without regard for the public as a whole."

I did respond to the post from Bateman above only to wake in the morning and discover he has censored me. It is his blog and that is his prerogative. I will however attempt to paraphrase my response here:

Do you know why Plato is much cooler than Bruce? It's because of the goats. Ancient Greeks were all about goats. If it wasn't for goats, there wouldn't have even been any Greek gods. Zeus, the king of the gods, was actually taken care of when he was a baby by the goat Amaltheia when he was hiding from his old man Cronus in Crete. Zeus liked her so much he put her in the stars as Capricorn. He even borrowed one of her horns which became the cornucopia, the horn of plenty. We taught him everything he knew and then he taught the rest of them. This is the main reason why Greek gods are more fun and cooler to hang out with than any others. They're also less self righteous and bloodthirsty. Did you ever see a bloodthirsty or self righteous goat? The Greek god Pan? Part goat, baby! And did you know that the word tragedy comes from the Greek words for "goat song?" Greek drama grew out of the festival of Dionysus, god of wine, who had a thing for goats. His buddies were satyrs which were part...guess what? Goat.Greeks love goat meat. We use goat skin to hold our wine. I can go on and on.

It is a pity that Bruce has been so damaged by this ordeal.

It is when things are at their worst that the true character of a person is revealed.

If you haven't noticed yet, there are a couple new images on the right side of this blog. Thank you Lil' Hammerhead for the "official supporter" image.

If anyone wonders how it got to this point, feel free to peruse this links (pay careful attention to the comment section --- mine specifically --- you will notice I was being far from rude):

Here is my first post regarding SCA and Mr. Turbitt's and Bruce's columns - this was dates Sept 16th (I was banned and censored for shedding light on how some people may misconstrue these columns. Jeff banned me from his site and changed his tune. Bruce has since called my mom a goat f&cker and began censoring my comments as well):